LA MESA  “Kids Help,” is the core belief of Sophia Rinaldo, as she poignantly expresses in her poem of the same title, one of two writings that helped earn the first grader at Glen E. Murdock School a second-place nod in the Our Planet, Our Home art and literature contest.

“Tall trees because kids help / Green grass because kids help / Happy animals because kids help / Giving families because kids help / Clean ground because kids help / Because kids help / Because kids help,” Sophia wrote.

Her short story, “Bringing Green to the Table Means” also spoke to “green grass and kids and happy animals,” and was part of a kids’ showcase feting 28 other contest winners at Saturday’s Environmental Sustainability Festival held at Harry Griffen Park.

Despite temperatures heading into the mid-90s, the five-hour festival drew 500 people, according to La Mesa Director of Public Works Greg Humora, who coordinated the event.

A release of nearly 50 monarch butterflies ended the festival, which also included 40 booths highlighting everything from gardening to recycling plastic bags and making them into handbags, planters and more. Electric and hybrid cars were featured as well as two non profit bird rescue groups — SoCal Parrot and The Raptor Institute.

La Mesa Mayor Art Madrid handed out awards and celebrated the art and literature contest winners, whose poems, paintings, drawings and collage work were out for public viewing at the festival. Winners were presented gift certificates from Rubio’s in Grossmont Center.

“I don’t like people ruining trees, pulling nature out by cutting trees,” the 6-year-old said, lollipop secured in her mouth, as she looked over her winning entry with her 5-year-old brother, Marty and her father, Michael.

The contest, in its fifth year, was part of the La Mesa-Spring Valley School District’s Extended School Services, a before- and after-school program, and drew more than 200 entries from 21 schools. The contest was open to La Mesa-Spring Valley School District and Helix Charter High School students and was a cooperative project for the district, along with the La Mesa Branch of the County Library system and Helix High.

“The art/literacy contest gave the ESS students an opportunity to share their ideas and personal beliefs about how we can improve the communities that we live in,” said ESS Coordinator Ronda Wood.

The festival also featured presentations in the amphitheater part of the park, including one from Tommy Gomes, director of public relations and marketing for Catalina Offshore Products.

Gomes spoke of the need for sustainable eating and a need to focus on real food and fresh food, especially for kids. Gomes said he was concerned about children’s breakfasts and lunches, which he said because of poor nutritional content tend to contribute to kids’ lethargy.

“Don’t be fast, don’t be easy, don’t be cheap, don’t be fake,” he told a small crowd gathered to hear his lecture. “We have enough people like that, we don’t need our food to be like that.”